Drivers of Households' Demand for White and Red Meat in Nigeria

Abstract

The consumption of red meat has become a major health concern for consumers, especially those related to the heart. White meat contains less fat and cholesterol and tends to regulate blood pressure and heart-related diseases. Research on white meat has not been given the desired attention, thus the need for the study on white meat demand in Nigeria. In this study, we used already obtained data to evaluate the drivers of demand of households for white and red meat. The data used were obtained from the Harmonised National Living Standard Survey (HNLSS) collected by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria. The respondents surveyed comprised 33,102 households. Descriptive statistics and the Heckman 2-stage model were the analytical tools employed. Monthly expenditure on beef ($21.66) is higher than on fish and poultry ($21.58 and $5.21, respectively) in the rural area. While households' expenditure on fish ($17.63) is higher than on beef and poultry ($14.01 and $1.55, respectively) in the urban sector. Age, sex, higher health expenditure, residents in the rural sector and northwest zone adversely influence households' demand for white meat. Advocacy and enlightenment campaign on the nutritional and health benefits of white meat consumption is key for households that are male-headed and those that spend more on health issues; rural sector and northwest zone residents.